Electric discharge device



Filed Feb. 10, 1953 INVENTOR Ja /F9) A'ITORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Kurt Wiegand, Berlin-Tempelhof, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 10, 1933, Serial No. 656.155

Germany February 17, 1932 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric discharge devices generally and more particularly the invention relates to electrical terminal parts for such devices.

The object of the invention is to provide a safe, simple and compact electrical terminal member for gaseous electric dischargedevices generally. A further object of the invention is to provide such a terminal member which is easily, and

quickly attached to and removed from an electric discharge device. Still further objects and advantages attaching to the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following particular description and from the appended claims.

' In accordance with these objects the invention comprises a socket ofelectrically insulating material having an electrically conducting contact member therein. Said contact member is attached to the end of the current supply lead for the gaseous electric discharge device, and is in contact with the base of said device, making a frictional joint therewith. The insulating member completely encloses said contact member and is held in position against said contact member by a flexible rubber ring pressing against said insulating member and against the current supply lead to make a frictional joint therewith. The new and novel terminal member is thus safe, and of compact and simple structure and is easily attached to and removed from the gaseous electric discharge device by a simple push or pull motion;

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in a front elevational, partly sectional view.

Referring to the drawing the container 1 of the gaseous electric discharge device has an. electrode 2 supported therein by wires sealed into the stem of said container 1. It will be understood of course that the other end of said container 1 is of the same structure, one end only of said container 1 is shown in the drawing for purposes of simplicity. A cylindrical metal base 3 is attached to said container 1, by a basing cement where desired, and the electrode lead 4 is in contact with said base 3. A slit, resilient, electrically conducting socket member 5 fits tightly over the base 3 and makes electrical contact therewith. The bottom part 7 of said member 5 is adapted to accommodatethe current supply wire 9 of the lead 9, 10, said wire 9 being clamped therein by screw 8. The insulation member 11 made of porcelain, for example, completely encloses said base 3 and said socket 5 and extends part way along said container 1 and along said current supply lead 9, 10. Said insulation member 11 is held in position by resilient rubber ring 15 making a frictional joint with the insulation part 10 of said lead 9, 10 which holds the shoulder 14 of said insulation member 11 against the part 6 of said socket 5.

The above socket 5, 11 is easily attached to or removed from the container 1 by a simple push or pull motion and is held in position thereon by the frictional joint between said resilient socket member 5 and the base 3. The socket5, 11 is easily attached to said lead 9, 10 by first rolling said rubber ring along the length of said lead 9, 10, inserting the end of said lead 9, 10 through the opening 13 in said member 11 until the exposed wire 9 emerges from the top of said member 11, clamping said wire 9 in the part 7 of said socket member 5 by screw-plug 8, moving said member 11 forward untilthe shoulders 14 thereof press against the part 6 of said socket member 5 and rolling back the rubber ring 15 on said lead 9, 10 until it presses against the end of said socket member 11;

The above described socket is thus of simple, compact structure and is easily and quickly assembled and attached to, or removed from said container 1. As the insulating part 11 completely encloses the conducting parts 3, 5 and 9 the above socket has a great safety factor.

While I have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its use and operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

1. In combination, an electric discharge device, an electrically conducting base therefor, a socket for said device comprising a resilient contact member adapted to make a frictional joint with said base, a current supply lead for said device attached to said contact member, a rigid, insulation member completely covering said contact member and a resilient ring at one end of said insulation member making a frictional joint with said current supply lead to support said insulation member against said contact member, said insulation member extending along said device and being out of contact with said device.

2. In combination, a tubular, electric discharge end of said insulation member making a frictional joint with said current supply lead to support said insulation member against said contact member, the inside diameter of said tubular insulation member being greater than the outside diameter oflsaid discharge device. 77

- KURT'WIEGAND. 

